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Lead Stories: Wednesday, October 15, 2008

In Quest for Double Olympic Gold, Lagat has El Guerrouj on His Side

Posted April 19th, 2008 at 10:30 AM by Bob Ramsak

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics

As he sets out on his quest for double Olympic gold this summer, Bernard Lagat will have plenty of supporters. Among them is the man whose achievement he’ll be hoping to emulate in Beijing: world record holder and reigning double Olympic champion Hicham El Guerrouj.

“Bernard proved in Osaka, thanks to determination and passion, that he can do it,” El Guerrouj, the finest middle distance runner of his generation, said of his long-time rival, last fall.
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TFS News Briefs: 2/26/08

Posted February 26th, 2008 at 11:00 AM by Jimmie R. Markham

Section: News & Results, Cross Country, Track & Field, Olympics, TFS News Briefs

Controversial Front-Runner For USATF Presidency
Montreal 4×400m gold medalist Herman Frazier is being considered for the role of president, according to an article on the UH website. Frazier is a controversial choice, having made some unpopular decisions while athletic director at two different universities.
Read more at: [University of Hawaii][Wikipedia]

Incipient Shot Put Feud?
Christian Cantwell may have begun a feud with fellow shot-putter Reese Hoffa by calling him a hypocrite when Hoffa refused to bring Cantwell’s shot put to the US Indoor Championships. Hoffa defended himself against the volatile Cantwell, saying he wasn’t going to help his competitor. Adam Nelson was mentioned during the verbal exchange. Is this fuel to spark the big men’s competitive fires, or is it a major distraction in an Olympic year?
Read more at: [Boston Globe]

Pre-Worlds Profile of the Great Maria Mutola
The IAAF website has a profile of the great 800m runner Maria Mutola, who will toe the line in Valencia, Spain for her 8th gold medal in the indoor world championships. Mutola will retire after the Beijing Olympics to devote her time to her charity Foundation in Mozambique.
Read more at: [IAAF]
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Rupp Hopes Wanamaker Mile Will Help Him Get to Beijing, Faster

Posted January 29th, 2008 at 5:00 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, College

When he steps on the track Friday night for the Wanamaker Mile at the 101st Millrose Games at Madison Square Garden, Galen Rupp will be looking well past the finish line, all the way to Eugene, Ore. It will be there in six months time that the 21 year-old NCAA 10,000m record holder will be trying to make his first Olympic team, and he wants to be ready if his 10,000m qualifying race comes down to a kick.

“Obviously, the 10-K is my best event and that’s what I’ll be running this summer and at the Trials,” Rupp said at today’s New York Track Writers’ luncheon as he sat next to his coach, Alberto Salazar. “The goal this winter is to drop down in distance.”

Rupp, who is on a leave of absence from the University of Oregon, has yet to break four minutes for the mile. He has terrific endurance, evidenced by his 27:33.48 10,000m personal best. But improving his raw speed, Salazar said, will give him another tool to win longer races, even if it means losing in the short term.

“I’m going to take my licks,” said Rupp boyishly.
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Podcast 108: ANNA WILLARD Olympic Steeplechase Hopeful

Posted December 10th, 2007 at 12:32 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics, Special Features, Interviews, Podcasts

Episode 108 of The Final Sprint Podcast,
the most listened to running podcast in North America, features my interview with ANNA WILLARD; a standout at Brown and then the University of Michigan as well as one of the U.S. favorites for the first ever women’s Olympic steeplechase.

In the interview Anna talks about her exceptional year, record-setting performances at the Penn Relays, her first IAAF World Championships and the fatigue caused by the spring track season at Michigan.

Download the podcast to hear Anna discuss these topics, as well as, why she believes winning the steeplechase at the U.S. Trials may require an American record, how special it would be to compete in the first ever Olympic women’s steeplechase, waiting until to March to begin her 2008 season, and much more!

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Host: Adam Jacobs | Guest: Anna Willard
Producers: Greg Cherniet, Adam Jacobs
Musicians: Ryan Ahlwardt, Darnell Perkins
File Size: 13.7 MB | Length: 20:02 MIN

Episode Sponsored By: Nike +

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Nike Plus will improve the way you run. Get feedback from your iPod on pace, time, distance and calories burned.

Log into Nikeplus.com to track your progress,
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America’s Tyson Gay Named Male Athlete of the Year

Posted November 27th, 2007 at 8:00 AM by Jamal Walker

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

Three-time World Outdoor champion and 2007 Jesse Owens Award winner Tyson Gay was named the Male World Athlete of the Year at the World Athletics Gala in Monte Carlo over the weekend.

Gay had an historic year in 2007, sweeping the 100 and 200 meters at both the IAAF World Outdoor Championships in Osaka and the USA Outdoor Championships. He added World Outdoor gold in the 4×100m to become the fourth man in World Championships history to win three gold medals at a single championship.
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Defar, Gay Named World Athletes of the Year

Posted November 26th, 2007 at 2:00 PM by Bob Ramsak

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Track & Field

Meseret Defar and sprinter Tyson Gay were named the World Athletes of the Year for 2007 at the World Athletics Gala held in Monte Carlo last night.

Defar, 24, shattered her won world record in the 5000 meters, running 14:16.63 in Oslo in June, breaking her own previous standard by more than eight seconds. The reigning Olympic 50000 champion, Defar also won the event at the world championships and twice lowered the world best for 2 miles. She also set a world record indoors in the 3000, running 8:23.72 in Stuttgart in February.

“I don’t have word to describe how happy I am,” said Defar, who dedicated the award to women athletes in Ethiopia. Haile Gebrselassie and Kenenisa Bekele have earned the honor in the past, but Defar became the first Ethiopian to win the world governing body’s annual award.

Gay, 25, won three gold medals at the IAAF World Championships in Osaka last August, sweeping the 100 and 200 metres and running the third leg on the victorious 4×100m relay. In the 100, Gay clocked 9.85, relegating world record holder Asafa Powell of Jamaica to third. In the 200, he clocked 19.76, taking down Michael Johnson’s meet record. He was just the fourth athlete to collect three gold medals at a single world championships.
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On Eve of Title Defense, Kiplagat in “Right Mood”

Posted October 13th, 2007 at 4:45 PM by Bob Ramsak

Section: News & Results

When she sets out to defend her World Road Running title on Sunday, Lornah Kiplagat will be also be aiming to join some fine company.

Counting the now discontinued World Half Marathon Championships, only Kenyan Tegla Loroupe and Great Britain’s Paula Radcliffe, both three-time winners, have managed to defend their road running titles. And the Kenyan-born Dutchwoman, all around one of the finest road runners ever, is optimistic about joining that illustrious pair.

“Everything is going normally and everything is going well,” said Kiplagat, who last year lowered the world record in the 20km to 1:03:21 with her victory in the first edition of the reconstituted championships in Debrecen, Hungary. “I’m in the right mood going into the race. I’ve spent the last week in Italy, so it could be a good result.”

Kiplagat followed up with an overwhelming victory at the World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa last March, and is now on the rebound from a minor calf injury that sidelined her from the World Championships on the track in Osaka in August.
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Podcast 85: SARA HALL on the Fifth Ave Mile, Olympics, parenthood, faith and more!

Posted October 1st, 2007 at 4:37 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics, Special Features, Interviews, Podcasts

Episode sponsored by: Bill Rodgers Sportswear
After 21 years BR Sportswear is closing out their line of high -quality running apparel. Visit shopfest.com to take advantage of an unprecedented 50% discount on all in-stock items!

Episode 85 of TheFinalSprint.com Podcast features my interview with SARA HALL.

Hall capped off her 2007 running campaign with a third place finish at the Continental Airlines Fifth Avenue Mile and heads into the off-season with hopes of an Olympic bid – for both herself and her husband Ryan.

In the interview Sara talks about the Fifth Avenue Mile, racing in Europe, bouncing back from the disappointment of missing the U.S. World Championship team by less than a second and being inspired by Ryan’s breakthrough year.

Download the podcast to hear Sara discuss these topics, as well as, her NCAA career, how the recent birth of Dathan Ritzenhein’s first child has affected her own thoughts of parenthood and plans to adopt a child, the newest addition to the Hall family (a miniature Siberian Husky named Kyla), the importance of faith in her life & career, and much more!

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Host: Adam Jacobs | Guest: Sara Hall
Producer: Greg Cherniet
Musicians: Ryan Ahlwardt & Darnell Perkins
File Size: 9.03 MB | Length: 13:09 MIN

Episode sponsored by: Bill Rodgers Sportswear
After 21 years Bill Rodgers Sportswear is closing out their line of high-quality running apparel. Visit shopfest.com to take advantage of an unprecedented 50% discount on all in-stock items!

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IAAF Reports No Positive Drug Tests During Osaka

Posted September 21st, 2007 at 9:45 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

The International Association of Athletics Federations reported today that there were no positive drug test results stemming from a massive testing program carried out during their recently concluded World Championships in Athletics in Osaka, Japan. However, there was one positive result from an out-of-competition test executed at a team training camp.

“I am pleased to report that the testing programme in Osaka was the largest ever conducted by the IAAF with even more tests collected than we had initially planned,” said IAAF president Lamine Diack in a statement circulated to the media. “I can confirm that we have found only one positive case from the testing in Japan.”
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Podcast 80: Team USA standout MATT TEGENKAMP discusses his career year, pacemakers and more!

Posted September 17th, 2007 at 3:26 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics, Special Features, Interviews, Podcasts, Drugs In Sports

Episode sponsored by: Bill Rodgers Sportswear
After 21 years BR Sportswear is closing out their line of high -quality running apparel. Visit shopfest.com to take advantage of an unprecedented 50% discount on all in-stock items!

Episode 80 of The Final Sprint Podcast; the most listened to running podcast in North America, features my interview with MATT TEGENKAMP; a Team USA standout coming off of an extremely impressive year; including his fourth place finish in the 5,000m at the IAAF World Championships.

In the interview, Matt talks about his very successful rookie experience at the World Champs, the frustration of coming within 0.03 seconds of the bronze medal, and what he learned about the difference between American and international racing.

Matt also weighs in on the debate over the use of pacemakers; explaining how they impact the sport’s global fan base and how their inclusion and the pressure for world records at international meets may affect the use of performance enhancing drugs.

Download the podcast to hear Matt discuss these topics, as well as, dealing with the added expectations and pressure that come along with his recent successes, the different philosophies held by many European runners in terms of training paces, the need for more knowledgeable commentators during American track & field TV broadcasts, and much more!

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Host: Adam Jacobs | Guest: Matt Tegenkamp
Producer: Greg Cherniet
Musicians: Ryan Ahlwardt & Darnell Perkins
File Size: 15.5 MB | Length: 22:45 MIN

Episode sponsored by: Bill Rodgers Sportswear
After 21 years Bill Rodgers Sportswear is closing out their line of high-quality running apparel. Visit shopfest.com to take advantage of an unprecedented 50% discount on all in-stock items!

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